The electricity in your home probably comes from a power plant, but did you know that you can actually generate your own electricity? Wondering what it would take to light up a small light? This is your chance! In this electronics science project, you will build your own electric generator and investigate how to light up not just one, but two lights.
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Elec_p078

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

You should have the patience and dexterity to coil several layers of wire neatly (or find someone who can help you).
You will also need to hook up a basic circuit. Understanding electric circuits is not a prerequisite for this science project, though it will enable a deeper understanding of the electric generator.

Material Availability

A kit containing all the specialty items needed for this project is available from the [# Link Name="Elec_p051.6" Value="HtmlAnchor" #].

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Neodymium magnets are very strong. Follow the safety guidelines in the Procedure for working with these magnets.

The electricity you use to power everyday devices is generated by electrical generators. These fascinating and powerful machines rely on magnets to function. Though they might seem extremely complicated, once you finish this science project, you will understand how, why, and when they generate electricity.
You will build your own generator, make small changes in how exactly the magnets are placed, and test when moving magnets generate electricity.
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Elec_p079

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

You should have the patience and dexterity to coil several layers of wire neatly (or find someone who can help you). You will also need to hook up a basic circuit. Understanding electric circuits is not a prerequisite for this science project, though it will enable a deeper understanding of the electric generator.

Material Availability

A kit containing all the specialty items needed for this project is available from the [# Link Name="Elec_p051.6" Value="HtmlAnchor" #].

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Neodymium magnets are very strong. Follow the safety guidelines in the Procedure for working with these magnets.

When you think of a motor, you may immediately think of a car, but you actually encounter other motors in your home every day. That's right, if you put on clean clothes from the washing machine, ate food from the fridge, or used a fan, you used an electric motor. In this electronics science project, you will make a simple electric motor with two magnets that "talk" to each other. As they interact, they will alternate between "liking" each other (pulling together), and "disliking" each other…
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Elec_p051

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

You should be able to coil wire neatly (or find someone who can show you how) in order to make your electric motor work.

Material Availability

A kit containing all the specialty items needed for this project is available from the [# Link Name="Elec_p051.6" Value="HtmlAnchor" #].

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Never try to use a wall socket as power source for your motor.

Neodymium magnets are very strong. Follow the safety guidelines in the Procedure for working with these magnets.

You have probably read all about forms of alternative energy like solar and wind power. But what about human power? With the aid of a coil of wire and some magnets, you can generate electricity with nothing more than a flick of your wrist. In this project, you will build a small hand-powered electrical generator that can power a series of tiny lights. Get ready to save the planet and get some exercise at the same time!
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Energy_p009

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

This science project requires some specialty electronic components. A kit is available from the [# Link Name="Energy_p009.16" Value="HtmlAnchor" #]. The Time Required estimate includes time for gathering specialty materials. The actual project only takes 1 day.

Cost

Average ($40 - $80)

Safety

Neodymium magnets are very strong and can pinch your fingers when they come together. You should keep them away from pets and small children because they can cause serious harm if ingested. As with any magnet, you should keep them away from computers, cell phones, and credit cards.

Have you ever wondered how a radio can grab signals that are transmitted through the air and convert them into sound? In this science project, you will build your own AM radio receiver from scratch and use it to listen to AM radio broadcasts. With your crystal radio you will be able to experiment with the circuit and the antenna to get the best reception.
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Elec_p014

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

To do this science project, you must live in an area where you can receive at least one strong AM radio station. You can check for this with a car or portable radio.

Material Availability

Specific circuit items are required. A Science Buddies kit is available for your convenience. See the Materials and Equipment list for details

Cost

Average ($40 - $80)

Safety

Never operate your crystal radio during a thunderstorm. When not in use, always disconnect your antenna from the radio circuit, and connect it directly to the ground rod. Be sure to wear safety goggles when installing the ground rod, especially if you are using a metal hammer. An adult's help might be necessary for some steps in the Procedure.

Today magnetic recording is used in audio and video cassette recorders, and computer disk drives. Did you know that you can also use an electromagnet to record and play back from a steel wire? In fact, this is how magnetic recording got started. This project shows you how to build a simple wire recorder.
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The makers of sports drinks spend tens to hundreds of millions of dollars advertising their products each year. Among the benefits often featured in these ads are the beverages' high level of electrolytes, which your body loses as you sweat. In this science project, you will compare the amount of electrolytes in a sports drink with those in orange juice to find out which has more electrolytes to replenish the ones you lose as you work out or play sports. When you are finished, you might even…
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Chem_p053

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Time Required

Short (2-5 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

You will need a digital multimeter for this science fair project. See the Materials and Equipment list for more details.

Do you know how to find the north and the south poles of a magnet? What materials are more magnetic than others? Is there a way to measure how strong a magnet is? Is there a way to measure the strength of an electromagnet? How much does the material that is in the core of the electromagnet affect its magnetic strength? With this project, you'll be able to answer these questions and many others. You will learn how to build and use a simple meter for measuring magnetic field intensity.
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Have you ever felt really frustrated? Maybe you were playing a video game and could not easily figure out a particularly challenging puzzle. Or maybe there was something you really wanted but you could not have it for some reason. However it has happened, what do you do when you get frustrated? What about other people — what kind of behaviors have you seen others display when they get frustrated? Do they cry, jump up and down screaming, just give up, or become aggressive? In this human…
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HumBeh_p051

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Time Required

Very Long (1+ months)

Prerequisites

You must have access to at least 30 middle-school aged test subjects. Try to get an even mix of boys and girls. You must also have access to a video camera.

Material Availability

Specialty equipment is required. See the Materials and Equipment list for specific details.

Cost

Average ($50 - $100)

Safety

Wear safety goggles when hammering the nails into the piece of wood and when using the drill.

What can you do with magnets and ball bearings that makes a lot of noise? Why, build a magnetic rifle, called a Gauss rifle, of course! Now, this rifle is not a weapon, but a way for you to learn a lot more about physics concepts, like momentum. In this physics science project, you will investigate how far a ball bearing launched by a Gauss rifle will fly, depending on how many magnetic acceleration stages are in the rifle and the ball bearing's initial velocity. This science project makes for…
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Phys_p081

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Specialty items including neodymium magnets and steel ball bearings are needed for this project. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

A Gauss rifle can produce high velocity projectiles. Do not aim the gun at anyone or anything; do not put your hand in front of the projectile. Operate the Gauss rifle safely. Be sure to read the important safety notes at the beginning of the Experimental Procedure before you begin. Scissors or other metal objects may be attracted to the magnets; use caution when using metal objects near the magnets.

You can find this page online at: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=solt&pi=Elec_p035.shtml

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